October Scripture Portion: Matthew chapter 1 - Luke chapter 22 including the Gospel according to Mark.
Chapter 10 contains the basis for the visitation program of local New Testament churches. Here God gives the vision of the harvest being great and the laborers few. He also gives the plan of how the laborers are to be sent forth--two by two into every city and place.
At Fundamental Baptist Church we believe in this New Testament plan for soul-winning. We have two weekly visitation programs, one for ladies and one for men. We send our visitation workers two by two into our city, inviting the lost to come into the fold of Christ. We started this program when our church was founded in 1981, and we are continuing to follow the Scriptural plan given us in these verses. God's plan is to reach every man with the Gospel. There are no new ways to reach them. If we will be faithful and consistent in following God's way, He will give us fruit for our labors.
In chapter 11:1 Jesus was in a certain place praying when His disciples came to Him and asked Him to teach them to pray. The power of prayer lies more in what we are than in what we say. According to I John 5:14,15, the desires of our heart will be granted if our hearts are right with God. Desires are numerous in human hearts, but many are not granted because they are breathed to God in an incompetent manner, because of an unholy life.
All men need to pray. In chapter 11 Jesus gave what we call the model prayer. In giving this prayer to His followers, Jesus was not only teaching the order in which our prayers should be formed, but the very spirit and condition of the heart necessary to true prayer. To say "our Father" denotes sonship. Before we can honestly call Him "our Father" we must have received Jesus Christ as our Saviour. When we accept Him as Saviour, we became a son of God (I John 1:12). Beyond that, we must be set apart from this world, with no sin in our lives, before we can rightfully say "Hallowed be thy name." If His name is to be hallowed by us, we must be hallowed to His name--set apart wholly unto Him. "Thy kingdom come" denotes the submission of our will to His perfect will, and our hearts and thoughts as subject to His rule. "And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us" denotes that we do have a forgiving spirit. Our prayers may often be hindered from a lack of tender love and forgiveness towards those who may have wronged us. We must forgive others in order to have our sins forgiven. If we can come with prepared hearts and surrendered spirits, without sin, bitterness, or an unforgiving spirit, then we can expect a forgiving attitude from our heavenly Father, and His blessing upon our lives.
MEMORY VERSE FOR TODAY: Man now can be: Justified. Acts 13:39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.